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We have an Astra Estate Auto 1.6 that belonged to my late father on Motability and is just coming up to its 4th annual service having run 19000 miles only. I was surprised to be told by the dealer that on this service it is their practice to replace the cam belt (4 years or 40000 mile whichever is the sooner) of course it will cost £220 plus vat on top of the £220 plus vat for the service. Should I tell them where to go and just book it into National for a service that will probably be half the price and leave the cam belt ?? I find it difficult to believe that it really has to be changed at 19000 miles.
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Here we go again. One topic has someone moaning like hell about an early cam belt failure (on a Focus) and threatening to write a letter to the Prime Minister about how unfair it all is, how hard done-by he is, and how if the manufacturer recommends replacement at XXXX miles, then they must absolutely guarantee that. Then we have another poster complaining how it must be much too early to change a belt and what a rip-off it must be.
Here's the deal - it's up to you!
If you decide against the 4 yearly recommendation and it goes bang, you may well have to buy a new engine. Or if you go get it changed you may be throwing £220 down the pan.
One thing for certain though, some belts snap early, some don't. Your call.
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>>Here we go again. One topic has someone moaning like hell about an early cam belt failure (on a Focus) and threatening to write a letter to the Prime Minister about how unfair it all is, how hard done-by he is, and how if the manufacturer recommends replacement at XXXX miles, then they must absolutely guarantee that. Then we have another poster complaining how it must be much too early to change a belt and what a rip-off it must be.
Here's the deal - it's up to you!
If you decide against the 4 yearly recommendation and it goes bang, you may well have to buy a new engine. Or if you go get it changed you may be throwing £220 down the pan.
One thing for certain though, some belts snap early, some don't. Your call.>>
It failed at half the recommended interval. Not three quarters, not two thirds, not nine tenths, but half. By your logic, poor old Hector would be changing his belt every 20,000 miles.
God help Alfa owners.
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"By your logic, poor old Hector would be changing his belt every 20,000 miles".
Well, if the 20k miles is taking 4 years, so it would seem!
If its an hour and a half labour, at say £40 an hour, plus a belt at say £20, seems fair enmough to me...?
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yes adam {p} you are indeed correct if it only does 5000 miles pre annum,its called age deterioration look at my name .
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Or - there is a third way here!
A good independent will do both for about that price...!
I'd get it done, but not by Vauxhall!
Neil
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told by the dealer that on this service it is their practice to replace the cam belt (4 years or 40000 mile whichever is the sooner)
That is correct. Reason being, lots were failing when it used to be at 80,000 miles. More often than not it was the cambelt tensioner rather than the cambelt itself that failed, however rubber deteriorates over a period of time - regardless of mileage covered.
Up to you (or him, I should say) whether it's changed or not. Vauxhall didn't lower the mileage / year recommendation to fleece anyone - they did it because as already mentioned, many belts were failing prematurely. Bear in mind it's not just the cambelt that gets changed. If they do the job properly, they should fit a cambelt kit, which also includes the tensioner. The kit alone is approx £100 (you could consider getting the cambelt kit elsewhere and asking the garage to fit. It's £88 from autovaux)
£220 plus vat on top of the £220 plus vat for the service.
That is expensive, considering my Dad recently paid £347 (all in) to have his 1.6 Auto Astra serviced, MOT'd, brake fluid changed, and a new cambelt with tensioners fitted at a main Vauxhall dealer.
Talking of brake fluid, did they also recommend it be changed? It should be done every two years.
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DD is right. That's expensive!
Just had 4th year service including a cambelt and tensioners and MOT on a 1.8 Astra and it cost £331 inc. VAT at my local Vauxhall dealer. Given that the brake fluid change I had last year cost £27-50, that's very close to DD's price.
JS
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Oh, and our car has done only 24,000 miles, but the four years was up, so, having seen the damage a failed belt does, I didn't argue!
JS
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Hector - Manufacturers recommend changing various items on the car, on a time or mileage basis. For instance, it should have a basic service (oil change + safety check) at 20,000 miles / 1 year for current Vauxhalls, 10,000 / 1 year for Vauxhalls up to '00 model year. Other items are on a 20,000 / 2 year or 40,000 / 4 year basis
Changing the cambelt at 40,000 / 4 years is good advice given the number of Vauxhall engines which have suffered cambelt failure within the 80,000 / 4 years originally recommended by Vauxhall.
The initial quote to repair my Cavalier when the belt failed was £2,500 but this was reduced to £1000 by using a secondhand cylinder head assembly.
As your car covers such a small annual mileage, you really should stick to the time based schedule and not consider mileage at all.
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